Resonance-body for musical instruments.



H. WACHWITZ. RESONANCE BODY FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILEDIAN.26,19H- RENEWED NOV. 22, 1916.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

I n vemor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEINRICH WACHWITZ, 0E NU'RNBERG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB '10 HEINRICH WACHWITZ& 00., 0E NUBNBERG, GERMANY.

RESONANCE-BODY FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

Application filed January 26, 1914, Serial No. 814,416. Renewed November22, 1916. Serial No. 132,917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEINRICH WVACHWrrz, a German citizen, residing atNiirnberg, in the State of Bavaria, Germany, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Resonance-Bodies for Musical Instruments, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The employment of wood for sounding bodies or resonance boards inmusical instruments, especially string-instruments and talking machinesencounters difficulties in so far as wood is not a uniform and reliablematerial for this purpose. Among other things the qualities of wood areimpaired by the character of the soil and the weather conditions duringthe growth of the wood. Thus, for instance, the tone of sounding bodies,even if they are made from one and the same kind of wood, may yet bedifferent from each other, in case the several kinds of wood originatefrom different trunks which have not grown uniformly. With metals amongwhich also aluminum has been used for this purpose this disadvantage isnot present, since they may always be manufactured with a uniformstructure. ploying metals for the aforementioned purpose shrieking anddissonant tones are produced. According to the present invention thisdisadvantage shall be obviated.

I propose to employ the present invention especially for constructingsounding bodies, for instance, horns for talking machines or resonancebodies for string-instruments, in that I make the same from aluminiumwhich is plated with one or several layers of metal of a greaterspecific gravity than aluminium. I regard especially as advantageous forthis purpose metals such as gold, silver, cobalt,

nickel or copper. The coating or plating of the aluminium with metals ofthis kind may be accomplished according to any of the well knownprocesses either in a mechanical Way or according to an electrolyticprocess.

As regards the thickness of the several sheets or layers I have foundthat the best results are obtained in case the thickness of 1 thealuminium amounts to about 95 per cent. of the total thickness of thematerial so that about 2.5 per cent. of the total thickness will remainfor each of the copper coatings.

When em- The tone which is produced from sound ing bodies or resonanceboards made from a combination metal according to the present lnventioncannot be distinguished from that produced by wooden instruments of theordinary kind. This is attained by joining two or more metals which aredifferent in their qualities. According to the kind of coating thedesired tone-color (klangfarbe), may be produced. Besides these soundingbodies and resonance boards of metal have the advantage that they arenot influenced by changes of the humidity of the atmosphere.

In the drawing I have shown a cross-section of a violin constructedaccording to my present invention.

The several parts are clearly conspicuous from the drawing. The shadingindicates the material from which the several parts are made.

The body of the violin is made from aluminium sheet having a coppercoating on its surface as above explained and consists of sides on of aform following the ordinary outline of the violin body, and of a top orbelly t and a back I). The top t and the back 6 are properly united withthe sides 'w in any suitable manner, such as for instance indicated inthe drawing.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States 1. A resonance body for musicalinstruments which consists of aluminium coated with a metal of a greaterspecific gravity than that of aluminium.

2. A resonance body for musical instruments which consists of aluminiumcoated on both of its surfaces with a metal of a greater specificgravity than that of aluminium.

3. A violin having its top, bottom, rim and wall made of aluminium sheetwhich is coated on both of its surfaces with copper.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

HEINRICH WACHWITZ. \Vitnesses:

RALPH W. Dox, HERBERT R. BOOK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressingthe Oommiuioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

